Most common diseases associated with rodents:
1. Hantavirus
– Transmission: Inhalation of dust contaminated with rodent urine, droppings, saliva, or direct contact with these materials.
– Symptoms: Fever, muscle aches, fatigue, and in severe cases, respiratory distress.
2. Leptospirosis
-Transmission: Contact with water, soil, or food contaminated with the urine of infected rodents.
– Symptoms: Fever, headache, muscle pain, and in severe cases, kidney or liver damage.
3. Salmonellosis
-Transmission: Ingestion of food or water contaminated with rodent feces.
-Symptoms: Diarrhea, abdominal cramps, fever, and vomiting.
4. Plague
-Transmission: Bites from fleas that have fed on infected rodents, or direct contact with an infected animal.
-Symptoms: Fever, chills, weakness, and swollen lymph nodes (bubonic plague); severe respiratory symptoms (pneumonic plague).
5. Rat-Bite Fever
-Transmission: Bites or scratches from infected rodents, or ingestion of food or water contaminated with rodent droppings.
– Symptoms: Fever, rash, vomiting, and muscle pain.
6. Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis (LCM)
– Transmission: Inhalation of dust contaminated with rodent urine, droppings, saliva, or direct contact with these materials.
-Symptoms: Fever, headache, nausea, and in severe cases, meningitis or encephalitis.
7. Tularemia
– Transmission: Handling infected animals, insect bites, or inhalation of contaminated dust.
–Symptoms: Fever, skin ulcers, swollen lymph nodes, and respiratory symptoms.
8. Typhus (Murine Typhus)
– Transmission: Bites from fleas that have fed on infected rodents.
– Symptoms: Fever, headache, rash, and muscle pain.
9. Lassa Fever
– Transmission: Inhalation of dust contaminated with rodent urine, droppings, or direct contact with these materials (primarily in West Africa).
– Symptoms: Fever, weakness, and in severe cases, bleeding and organ failure.
10. Toxoplasmosis
-Transmission: Ingestion of food or water contaminated with rodent feces or handling contaminated soil.
-Symptoms: Flu-like symptoms in mild cases can be severe in pregnant women and immunocompromised individuals.
11. Trichinosis
– Transmission: Eating undercooked meat (typically pork) that is contaminated with larvae from infected rodents.
-Symptoms: Abdominal pain, diarrhea, fever, and muscle pain. These diseases highlight the importance of effective rodent control and hygiene practices to reduce the risk of transmission.